


One Two Punch

by MandoKain



Series: Aliit [13]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Prequel, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 16:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21323350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandoKain/pseuds/MandoKain
Summary: Recoil got himself out. It isn't the first time he threw the first punch, and it won't be the last, but all the best parts of his life start when he throws a punch.
Series: Aliit [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1450651
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	One Two Punch

The pilot stares at him, but doesn’t move to stop him.

“You really punch a general?”

Recoil shrugs his shoulders, shifts his stance. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Fresh batch of shinies.” When none had come back, he’d tried to drop another set in the same spot. Recoil had protested, and the General had said if it stuck him that much he could go alone then. Recoil’s fist had been up faster than blinking. He’d had blasters trained on him by the time the general hit the ground, but he’d felt the crack and the satisfying trickle of blood down the general’s face, the slow blooming bruise and the indignation and surprise on his face, had been worth it.

Recoil tests the binders in the silence as the pilot considers his words. He’s been working on them slowly, testing for weaknesses. They used the cheap ones on him, the ones with the plasteel instead of the rays. The captain had muttered something like an apology in Mando’a when they loaded him into the shuttle. A little gradual tugging had weakened the link attaching one side to the other, but he still can’t break them.

“Heads up.” He looks up. The cutter lands with a clatter in his lap. He stares at it. “You’re a gunner,” the pilot says matter-of-factly. “If you use it on one side the other should come off easy.”

“You serious?” Recoil stares. “Why?”

“‘Fresh batch of shinies.’”

The cutter works to pry one link open until it snaps on one side, and with an almighty tug, the binders biting into his wrists, the other half of the link snaps. Recoil stands. They took his armour off him when they arrested him. It’s in a side compartment, and he thinks he could find it, but he also knows that far more people know the armour than the face behind it. On this little fuel stop, people won’t look twice, especially if he scowls. He puts the cutter in the pocket, then looks at the pilot, who’s now standing in front of him, opening the door.

“If they come back and I’m gone and you’re here, they’ll arrest you too, you know that.”

The pilot spreads his arms and gestures to his nose. “Better do me like you did the general then, and make it count.”

Recoil sighs through his nose, expression pinched. “Don’t wanna give you brain damage, vod.”

“Vod.” And this time he looks at the pilot, and can see the seriousness in his eyes, that this is about more than a punch. “Make it count.”

Recoil nods. “It’s a promise.” The pilot nods too, and closes his eyes, just in case. Recoil decks him, quick and clean and solid, and he doesn’t get up. The heavy gunner turns and heads down the ramp, takes a quick glance around, and heads off. There’s an unattended ship with an open hatch a ways away, the owner probably inside haggling over price, and it’s an easy matter to slip inside and find a cargo hold to hide in. The cutter works like a charm to fiddle the clasps on the binders open, although his wrists are still stinging from pulling them apart. He shakes them out, hoping it’ll help, and settles against one of the cases. His heart doesn’t stop pounding until he hears the engines rumble and the ship lift off.

_Make it count._

He will. That’s a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't usually do these in the present tense, but it felt fitting. Another short and sweet prequel. This is several months before Blink gets out.
> 
> Recoil's escape may have something to do with why the others who got sent back for fighting their general were drugged. It's best if none of them know that.


End file.
